Brian M. Roberts’s work at the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia) was an opportunity to participate in a historic world event. Brian assisted Radoslav Brdjanin’s defense attorney, former Harris County District Court Judge John Ackerman, in preparing for trial, which included reviewing war diaries kept by various military commanders, translating wire taps of communications between Slobodan Milosevic and his generals, witness statements, photos and numerous other discovery. The pinnacle of his time at the ICTY, was the week he sat with Mr. Ackerman in trial in the Tribunal chamber simultaneously listening to live witness testimony, the English translation of the witness’s testimony and reviewing the trial transcript as it was typed live and transmitted to our computer monitors. Brian’s job was to ensure the translations were correct and alert Mr. Ackerman to any misstatements of the witness’s testimony for him to make objections. Brian also met with the client, Radoslav Brdjanin, and translated during attorney conferences.

 

When he was not working on the Brdjanin case, Brian attended classes in international law and international criminal law, amongst others, at the University of Leiden and completed his legal studies.